The Dutch government is preparing a 1GW IJmuiden Ver Gamma-A offshore wind tender in 2026 in response to mounting cost pressures and stalled progress in the country’s wider rollout of sea-based projects, according to a new ministerial letter.
The cabinet said that only 1GW can be opened with a realistic chance of success under the available budget, having previously aimed for 2GW.
The planned tender will follow the SDE++ system with a maximum price of €104/MWh, as advised by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency.
The government stated this support level is needed to maintain competition and avoid developers shifting focus to more attractive foreign markets.
It added tenders without state support are no longer viable due to rising interest rates, labour and material costs, inflation, and falling and uncertain power market revenues.
The 1GW round is intended to prevent a slowdown in the national offshore wind programme, which the cabinet warned would undermine climate targets, energy security and industrial electrification.
The site selected for the tender is IJmuiden Ver Gamma-A, where permits and grid plans are already in place and grid-connection risks are lower than at the previously considered Nederwiek I-A area.
The tender will combine a subsidy procedure with a parallel auction allowing unsubsidised bids, though the government noted that zero-subsidy proposals are unlikely under current market conditions.
A public consultation on the draft regulation begins immediately, with the tender expected to open in September 2026.